The Head Smashed in Buffalo Jump in Alberta, Canada, is a cliff where indigenous Americans used to drive buffalo. They would fall off the cliff and, presumably, make the hunting easier. Glenn, of the very cool Gem’s World Postcards blog, who sent this card, has been to the site a couple of times. It may not be the most exotic World Heritage Site, but it does double my collection (I’m up to 2 now!)

In addition to Postcrossing, swap-bot, and private swaps, there are lots of other internet resources for sending and receiving mail. One that is new to me is called Walltype. It works similar to Postcrossing, in that it is devoted exclusively to postcards, and works on a similar send-to-receive basis, but it is much simpler and based on the honor system.

Basically, you sign up and enter in your address. You can request an address to send a postcard to, and select a category (e.g. lighthouses, maps, or animals) that relates to the card you’re sending, and then you write out and send a card. Your name is immediately put on the list to receive a card as soon as you draw an address. This is nice because unlike Postcrossing, you don’t have to wait for your card to arrive, then for your name to be drawn, and for a card to return to you. However, because it is on the honor system, it does increase the possibility that someone might be dishonorable and not send you a card.

So far, I’ve sent four cards and received three back. They have all been pretty nice cards. Handmade cards seem to be pretty popular, but the handmade cards I have received have both been very nicely printed photographs that people have taken.

Walltype will probably not become my main postcard exchanging source because there isn’t the accountability that there is with swap-bot or Postcrossing. However, it makes up for it in convenience and speed of return. Since your address comes up for selection more quickly than in Postcrossing, and you don’t have to wait for a swap, you don’t have as long to wait for your cards. And since you can send as many cards as you want at one time, if you’re feeling bored or productive one day, you could presumably mail dozens of cards. It’s a good fix for when you’re itching to send some cards, but your Postcrossing sent cards are all used up and there aren’t any current swap-bot swaps.

Have you tried Walltype? What was your experience? Are there similar postcard swapping sites you want to share? Let me know in the comments!

I received this postcard from Pittsburgh, PA, yesterday, from Postmuse, as a thank-you for returning the cards for the Orphaned Postcard Project. You can read about the cards I adopted here.

It’s a view of the South Side neighborhood, with downtown in the background.

Since I’m originally from Pennsylvania, I’ve been to Pittsburgh many times. The last time was in the summer of 2010. I got to hang out with my sister, and we had ‘mind-blowing’ Indian food at this restaurant that obviously used to be a Dunkin’ Donuts. It was the least impressive looking restaurant I’ve ever seen, but the food was fantastic! I hope to go back to Pittsburgh, not only for the Indian food, but because they have a huge store that sells kawaii stationery and other cuteness.

I received this card for the Real Vintage Postcards swap on swap-bot. It comes from fellow Portlander, swap coordinator, and person-I-know-in-real-life, LeSillyMe. It’s a perfectly kitschy card:

This card shows the South of the Border tourist attraction, which is not near Mexico, but rather on the border of North and South Carolina. Nevertheless, the “Acapulco Room” provides an “enchanting atmosphere for your relaxed suppertime.” As far as I know, this attraction is still running even today. Maybe if I am ever down in the Carolinas, I will check it out!